Episode 003 March 2014

We chat with TV writer and producer Ian Brier about Walter Murch’s early sound design for THX 1138, American Graffiti, The Conversation, and Apocalypse Now, as well as Saul Bass’ science fiction film Phase IV, interview Scott Leberecht and Christina Lee Storm about Life After Pi and the current state of the VFX industry, and talk with MK12 partner Ben Radatz about Saul Bass’ career in title design.

About The Optical

Host Mark Boszko takes you on a journey back through the annals of Cinefex magazine, talking about the movies and topics they covered 30+ years ago. We talk to people involved in the films, people who make movies, and people who love movies, and have a fun time doing it.

— a documentary looking back at the production of Francis Ford Coppola’s chaotic, catastrophe-plagued Vietnam film, featuring on-location home movies shot in the Philippines by Eleanor Coppola during the production of Apocalypse Now.

More Bits

Hearts of Darkness - A Filmmaker's Apocalypse (DVD) — a documentary looking back at the production of Francis Ford Coppola’s chaotic, catastrophe-plagued Vietnam film, featuring on-location home movies shot in the Philippines by Eleanor Coppola during the production of Apocalypse Now.

“Catalog” 1961 — “John Whitney's demo reel of work created with his analog computer/film camera magic machine he built from a WWII anti-aircraft gun sight.” You can see some lissajous figures around the 5:50 mark that, if slowed down, look much like some of the curves seen in the Vertigo titles.